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Newsletter
May
2006
Letter
From The Editor
Mother's Day, May Pole Day, May Queens, Garland Day, Memorial
Day, Children Out Of School Days, and Trooping Fairies all
in the same month! May
certainly is one of the busiest months of the year and we
have been unbelievably busy here at The Plate Lady
® of Tampa Bay.
Now that I have finally had time to catch my breath, the first
thing that we have to report is that Islandia is no more.
They are gone forever and there will be no further Limited
Edition Collectibles produced or sold by them from this point
on.
We
have not been able to restock
many of our sold-out Islandia
products, to the dismay of many
collectors who waited too long
to complete their collections.
We have already seen the effect
this is having on the collectibles
market and prices will only be
getting higher as time goes on.
Reco
International has also stopped
producing Limited Edition Collectibles
but they still have a few plates,
figurines, and ornaments left
in stock. We would highly suggest
that collectors complete their
collections now if they can, because
it will soon become much more
difficult.
We will continue to restock until
supplies are completely gone,
but after that the secondary market
will also begin to control those
prices. We are stocking up on
some of the more popular plates
while we can.
Our
artist of the month for May is,
of course, Cicely Mary Barker.
She is well-known for her irresistible
‘Flower Fairy’ illustrations.
Your can read her Artist's
Profile below. You can also
view one of her most popular flower
fairies, ‘Ragged Robin’
on our Other Artist’s page
at http://theplatelady.com/more-artists.html
We
are including an article on fairies,
" The Enchantment
of Fairy Lore", in this
month’s newsletter as well.
It explores the history of those
magical caretakers of nature that
were originally called The Fay.
The name Fay came from the Latin
root ‘fate’ and the
most famous of all Fays were The
Three Fates (or Graces).
A
statue of The Three Graces was
sculpted by Antonio Canova and
is displayed at the Hermitage
Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
You can view this incredibly beautiful
statue on our Mythology page at
http://theplatelady.com/mythology.html#03
The big news at The Plate
Lady
®
website is that we have added an Art Nouveau / Art Deco
page that includes some of the most beautiful fairies we
have ever seen offered. There are also angels, candle stick
holders, clocks and jewelry boxes reproductions, all in
the Art Nouveau style. You won't want to miss viewing these
graceful art pieces, even if you haven't ever considered
adding that element to your home decor.
Whatever
you are celebrating this month,
we hope you will take the time
to experience a little bit of
magic in your life and to share
it with those you care most about,
especially mom.
Happy Mother's Day from The Plate
Lady
®
of Tampa Bay Staff
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Artist's
Profile: Cicely Mary Barker
Cicely
Mary Barker was born in 1895 in
Croydon, England. She is most
famous for her 'Flower Fairy'
illustrations. At the age of 13
she began studying at the Croydon
School of Art, where she later
taught. When she was 15 years
old, she sold several of her illustrations
to Raphael Tuck, who published
them as a set of postcards. Then
at the age of 16 she won second
prize in a Croydon Art Society
poster competition. Soon after
that, she became the youngest
member to be elected to lifetime
membership in that society.
When
her father died in 1912, Cicely
began actively selling her work
to help support her family. She
sold poetry and illustrations
to several of the popular magazines
of her day. She sketched children
at work and at play, but also
in religious, literary, and national
themes. The best known are 'Shakespeare's
Children', 'Children of the Allies'
and her early 'Fairy Cards'.
Fairies
were popular subjects at that
time and a favorite of Queen Mary,
who enjoyed sending her friends
postcards with fairy illustrations
on them. Cicely used real children
as models for her flower fairies
and enhanced her drawings further
with botanical prints. She took
up the habit of carrying a sketch
book with her, so that she might
sketch anything interesting for
future reference.
Her
'Flower Fairies' were a great
success. The first 'Flower Fairy'
book was published in 1923. Cicely's
illustrations eventually appeared
in at least 36 books. She continued
to also design postcards and greeting
cards, as well as to donate paintings
to local churches to help them
raise money. She did her best
to volunteer to help others whenever
she could. In 1925 Queen Mary
purchased Cicely's painting "The
Darling of The World is Come".
Cicely
Mary Barker died on February 16,
1973 at the age of 77 on the fiftieth
anniversary of the publication
of her first 'Flower Fairy' book.
Although that first book was published
more than 80 years ago, 'Flower
Fairies' are still as popular
as ever. It is now an English
tradition to place fairies in
the garden to watch over favorite
flowers.
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The
Enchantment of Fairy Lore
By
Lillian Glockson
From the beginning of time man has
believed that fate was not entirely
in his own hands, but also in the
hands of all-powerful beings, residing
within an alternate dimension, separated
from our perception of time and
space.
The entities believed to inhabit
that plane of existence have been
countless. A very large and heavy
book would be required to recount
all of their names, not to mention
the variations on their names in
different countries. Let it suffice
to give only generalized references
within this article for the sake
of brevity.
Even
to this day there are people who
continue to believe in those elusive
masters of destiny, and who continue
to perform rituals meant to appease,
just in case, for fear of the consequences
of not believing.
Although
people of every continent have embraced
the supernatural at one time or
another, to the point of worshiping
those entities they thought would
favor them, there has been an effort
by some to abolish all other beliefs
but their own. Through disinformation
they have reshaped the public sentiment,
to transform the once benevolent
into malevolent creatures that evoke
fear rather than reverence.
Such
was the fate of the Fay: The fairies
of the Seely Court and the fairies
we know as nature spirits. In an
unpredicted twist of circumstances,
their fortune came to rest in the
hands of humankind rather than the
reverse
Where
did they come from? Were they just
imaginings that took on an existence
of their own? Were they a race that
is now extinct? Are they still with
us? These questions have never been
conclusively answered. Nonetheless,
for the humans who share in the
passionate love of nature that fairies
epitomize, and who wish to do all
they can to preserve its balance,
it does not matter. They are alive
in the hearts of those who believe,
and life would not be complete without
their stewardship.
Because
fairies were very real to so many
of our ancestors, it is difficult
to know for sure whether or not
the many tales about them were grounded
in some truth. Most people now feel
that fairy stories were just flights
of fancy, but there is strong evidence
in literature that they were either
a popular tool for scaring children
or enhanced accountings of actual
events. Perchance they were both.
Reports of recent sightings are
rare, but fantastic rumors of fairy
encounters were once numerous and
quite descriptive.
The
fairies of legend have always been
with us under one name or another.
Whether or not they were ever real,
it is well documented that great
caution was always used when referring
to fairy-kind. The names they were
called by, such as "Gentle
Folk", were more wishful than
descriptive. It was held that dealings
with the Fay could bring about either
fortune or misfortune. No one really
knew for sure which it would be,
so it was the practice at least
to try not to anger a fairy and
at best to find favor, just in case
it was ill-tempered
The
more recent trend is to classify
a fairy as light, dark, or grey
- suggesting a disposition or tendency.
However, many of our ancestors would
have never dared to do so. Stories
passed down on the subject frequently
reported that fairies despised those
who would attempt to define them
and objected to even being called
by the name fairy or Fay. As such,
they would have certainly taken
exception to being classified by
human moral values.
Fairies
were thought to be the servants
of nature, and it appears that the
fairy code of ethics was no more
reconcilable with human morals than
would nature be herself. Nature
cannot and will not follow the moral
codes we have set for ourselves,
because to do so would ensure its
extinction.
Tales
of the Fay often described them
as seductively alluring, as well
as deadly. Fairies were believed
to be entwined within nature's driving
need to reproduce itself, to ensure
species survival; and death is as
important a part of life as birth
in keeping a delicate balance. This
custodianship of nature intimately
involved them in both the procreation
and the decline of all living things.
They were symbolically responsible
for the renewal of life that comes
with the emergence of spring.
Not
unlike humans, fairies were often
attributed with extreme emotions
such as happiness, joy, anger, and
rage. Perhaps that is why we tend
to judge them by our own standards.
The resemblance is so profound that
it is difficult to see more than
superficial differences. It is also
true that humans are part of nature
and its innocence. This makes it
very tempting to see fairies as
lighter versions of ourselves, but
that comparison would be groundless.
We do not truly serve nature, as
fairies were renowned for doing;
we depend on nature to serve us.
That alone makes us significantly
different.
It
is well documented in literature
that fairies loved music and dance.
In that aspect fairies and humans
have always been very much alike.
The Fay were also noted to be eternally
young with childlike qualities of
curiosity and mirth, and like children
they delighted in playing pranks
on the unsuspecting.
Still, life was not all gaiety and
fun for their kind. Sometimes their
dancing was said to weave magical
rites of the seasons, in their service
to nature. The ground where these
dances took place was considered
sacred, with fairy rings marking
their places of revelry. Legend
says that any humans who dared to
tread there, did so at risk of great
peril.
Also
well established is that fairies
instinctively distrusted humans,
and for good reason. Intrusions
on their privacy seldom went unpunished,
unless of course the intruder was
a child. There seemed to be a softening
of restrictions, in those instances,
that can only be indicative of nature's
love of youth and beauty.
Some
stories suggest that fair human
youths were once irresistible to
fairies, who were accused of spiriting
away those that they favored. Some
tales speak of the fairies wishing
to rescue those they stole, from
a life of cruelty and/or hardship.
Indeed, those captives were often
given full fairy status and lived
in luxury within the fairy realm.
An identical child was thought to
be left in place of the stolen one,
but this is where the story turns
to horror: That child was often
tortured by its human parents, to
make the fairies return their true
offspring.
Of
course there were also tales written
about adults being taken to Elfame
(also known as Faery or Fairyland)
as servants or mates. Once released,
they found that more time had passed
in the human world then they had
realized. Time had not been perceived
and they had not aged during their
stay in Elfame. The fairies living
there also did not age and were
considered immortal due to their
indeterminate life-spans.
Marriages
between fairies and humans were
recorded as well. Fairies remaining
in the human world had to give up
their powers and live as mortals,
but children born from those unions
were noted to be greatly gifted
with talent and beauty. Sometimes,
after a number of years, the fairy
wife returned home to her own people
and was never seen again.
Elfame,
the legendary realm of the fairies,
was renowned for being accessible
through magical portals. The entrances
were thought to lie under hills,
under water, and under certain trees.
The distance between those doorways
was of no consequence, and any human
who entered was changed forever
by the experience.
Admission
into that world was by invitation
only and did not come without a
price. Going there often resulted
in indefinite imprisonment, even
for guests, and trespassers were
dealt with severely. Yet for those
who claimed to have visited the
fairy kingdom, it seems the price
paid was not felt to be unjust.
Accounts
of Elfame described it as a resplendently
dazzling land with elaborate castles
dotting magnificent farmland, rolling
hills, and meadows covered with
wild flowers. Trees were heavily
burdened with exotic fruits of every
kind and it was rumored that one
taste of fairy food would forever
make all other food seem unpalatable.
Magnificent
celebrations were held there frequently
- lavish spreads of sumptuous foods
were served on golden platters and
wine was served in bejeweled goblets
- but the biggest party of the year
was believed to be held in May on
the full moon. Almost every fairy
attended.
The
fairies were summoned at midnight
by the ringing of bluebells. They
dressed in extravagant finery made
from the most exquisite cloth and
embellishments. Enchantingly beautiful
music could be heard floating on
the evening breezes, and it was
said that the lights from the fairy
ball could be seen sparkling through
the water on those moonlit nights.
The
remarkable sights reportedly witnessed
from within the fairy world are
as yet unrivaled. Only fleeting
glimpses of that same grandeur were
ever seen from outside its magical
gates. The glittering jewels and
golden spires of that realm were
noted to be hidden from the eyes
of those who did not possess fairy
sight, an ability to see through
fairy glamour.
Tricking
the human eye, into believing whatever
it sees, was easy for fairies; and
the use of glamour made that possible.
Legends and stories are filled with
fairies able to hide or transform
portions of the landscape, to the
dismay of travelers. They even transformed
themselves into animals and inanimate
objects. In the blink of an eye
they could either disappear or disguise
themselves completely. The forms
taken were limitless.
Fairies
were even known to make themselves
look like humans, but the image
that most readily comes to mind
is that of a tall, elegant, radiant
nymph that is lithe and beautiful
with delicate wings shaped either
like a butterfly or like a dragonfly.
Other popular shapes are that of
a child with wings and that of a
very tiny, luminescent being that
appears to be a firefly.
It
is also said that the use of fairy
glamour allowed fairies to decorate
themselves however they chose. Flower
fairies appeared dressed in the
same flower petals as the flowers
that they tended, forest nymphs
appeared in the colors and substance
of the wood, and water sprites appeared
almost as crystalline as water itself.
There were also many other variations
when it came to the choice of clothing
or the lack of it.
The
Fay were not always described as
having wings. Earlier stories recounted
an elfin creature endowed with a
strong work ethic and/or mystical
healing powers. These were sometimes
skilled master craftsmen, able to
create fabulous works of art overnight.
Metalwork was one of the more favored
trades. Jewelry, armor, and legendary
weapons – all bestowed with
magical properties - were said to
have been made by elfin fairies.
How
ever the Fay were described, their
most outstanding and consistent
quality was that they all served
nature in one way or another. They
were noted to be guardians of the
forests, the trees, the flowers,
the waters, the rocks, the mountains,
the children, the birds, and all
wild animals.
For
a great number of years, stories
of fairy encounters were passed
down by word of mouth or in letters;
but recently scholars have been
compiling many of those tales into
numerous volumes of books. Intellectual
analyses of those accounts have
also added a dimension to the fairy
lore. How they lived, where they
lived, their interactions with humans,
and the amazing powers they were
believed to possess are all subjects
of great speculation.
There seems to be no end to the
information gathered about fairies
throughout the ages; yet we still
cannot fully define them nor conclusively
establish their existence. Nevertheless,
we continue to be spellbound by
them. Legends of their magical
enchantments and influences on
destiny have irresistible appeal
for children and adults alike.
Despite all the time that has
passed since people believed in
fairies, they still have the power
to hold us captive.
COPYRIGHT 2006
The Plate Lady
®
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